Rifleman - New Zealand Bird of the Week

Riflemen are the smallest birds in New Zealand, and being so small, are fleet of foot and difficult to spot. I hope you enjoy.
Background music:
Picturesque - Alex Arcoleo
The Rifleman - Herschel Burke Gilbert
Logos by pantydraco on Instagram! / pantydraco
Make sure to like and subscribe to learn more about our wonderful world!
Sources:
nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/r...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riflema...)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zea...
web.archive.org/web/201202171...
www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz/rif...
teara.govt.nz/en/small-forest...
www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/tiak...
Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research.
All video/game content is recorded and edited under fair use rights for reasons of commentary and social satire.
#NewZealandBirdoftheWeek

[@paleoph6168]

The name of the bird in the title made me think that this channel was starting to do military-related content.

[@3nthamornin]

😂

[@HenrythePaleoGuy]

That was actually an idea of mine for a channel covering such things and history, although I ended up settling with this instead.

[@Viatoreptil]

That last description is spot on. They are so adorable! In the Orokonui Ecosanctuary, they are like these green cotton balls bouncing around the forest at 0.75x speed in your peripheral vision.

[@dennismason3740]

I know this isn't a contest (my dino drawings from 1959 still look good) but what is it about the Brits that make their shows so much better than the (mostly) horrible American paleontologist YT shows disguised in clever production values and whose anthropomorphism is all the more hideous? America actually has the All Your Dinos Are Wrong dude - he may be Canadian, I don't know, but he knows his bones and he's unique in a good way. Plus he snorts in reprimand of dinosaur misconceptions. No edgy paleoz. thank you. I love your work. It is rather brilliant in a way that would have edgeboyz crowing about their "knowledge". We have the black phoebe where I live.

[@graphite2786]

Have you ever seen one Henry? One day you should do you own personal NZBOTW roundup , which species you've seen and the ones that are on your grail list. ( Extant species of course).

[@HenrythePaleoGuy]

I have! I actually went to two different locations in two seperate days right before I put the video out, and saw quite a few of them. Looking at them move, you can hardly believe something so small and fluffy is real!

[@graphite2786]

@@HenrythePaleoGuy I've put them on my NZ bird bucket list! I'm envious of your sighting. We've 2 tiny species here in Australia, the weebill, which is slightly larger than the rifleman and the rufous crowned emu wren. The r c emu wren is only 5.5 grams and while it gets to 120mm in total length , 65+ mm is tail. Meaning a body length of 45 to 55 mm! I've seen the weebill but the emu wren is very furtive , shy and rarely seen.

[@riverAmazonNZ]

I love their little high pitched zit-zit noises, and the way they land on trees like a velcro ball. I was surprised to see one on banks peninsula. Hopefully they will establish there.

[@HenrythePaleoGuy]

They are like little balls indeed! As mentioned, they are pretty poor when it comes to dispersal, so hopefully reintroductions will do the trick, since they survive in less biodiverse areas where they have managed to survive. I want to form a reserve of my own one day, and releasing these guys would be a great experience. :)

[@javwildman]

Great little bird, saw a pair at Pukaha Wildlife Centre a few years ago. I filmed them nesting in a nest box, they are pretty nifty at flying short distances through the trees and are quite difficult to film.

[@Alberad08]

Thanks a lot for sharing this! I didn't know that, with some birds, older siblings help feeding the younger ones - have to share this new knowledge with my friends...

[@HenrythePaleoGuy]

No problem! I'm glad you and hopefully others have learned something new about birds!

[@dennismason3740]

Birds...and dinosaurs. There may be a connection.

[@HenrythePaleoGuy]

There is indeed.

[@toxictony4230]

I've actually seen one these birds on a visit to Queenstown/routeburn area of South Island. They really are surprisingly small and for poor fliers, very quick.

[@badartgallery9322]

Best best best best best best best best best best best best very best.

[@HenrythePaleoGuy]

Thank you. :)

[@rocketreindeer]

Super interesting little bird. The Kiwi ecological world is so amazing.

[@bloodandempire]

Omg I love himb!! So precious

[@HenrythePaleoGuy]

Most definitely. :)

[@erichtomanek4739]

I wonder if these little takkers nested down in Haast Eagle nests?

[@HenrythePaleoGuy]

Perhaps, if they well hidden enough not to become a quick snack for the hatchlings or the parents.

[@flamencoprof]

After watching this I reckon that in the Eighties up at Aoraki/Mt. Cook, what I thought was a Rifleman was probably a Rock Wren.

[@HenrythePaleoGuy]

More than likely. :)

[@dumoulin11]

Fascinating!

[@HenrythePaleoGuy]

Thank you!

[@AquaticFlapper125]

I love how it’s called a rifle man

[@HenrythePaleoGuy]

Makes them even more unique. :)

[@furlizard]

Oh, I think I've seen one of them!

[@HenrythePaleoGuy]

Great!

[@bartfoster1311]

Interesting species that I have never heard of before!

[@HenrythePaleoGuy]

Great to hear!

[@dennismason3740]

I meant black-capped chickadee, not phoebe.

[@minted1841]

Such a unique bird. Glad to learn they are monogamous ..........Happy Valentine's Day.

[@HenrythePaleoGuy]

Most definitely! And thank you. :)

[@dynamosaurusimperious6341]

Zealand aue has a huge number of very beautiful and interesing avian dinosaurs.

[@HenrythePaleoGuy]

More to come as well! ;)

[@livinghomunculus657]

The New Zealand rock wren is a different species than the rock wren.

[@garypfeiffer3489]

Henry are you English or New Zealand ish? Because you sound English but mainly do birds from New Zealand

[@rocketreindeer]

I think he's from the South Island in New Zealand. I've been to NZ and he sounds Kiwi to me. His voice reminds me of the lead singer of OMC (90s-2000s Kiwi hip hop group).

[@t-r-e-x452]

In the future, I plan on doing a Prehistoric Park fanfic. The 25th mission is to New Zealand. I've narrowed down the criteria to the following: 1. Before the Maori arrived 2. Focus on the South Island 3. Only do the terrestrial fauna, living & extinct. However, I feel like when it comes to the living animals, especially birds, I'll still have a huge amount. Solution to keep it below 100 species?

[@NewAround92]

Born to Trill!

[@carlsorensen9422]

i am wondering how many of the birds in this series have you sean in the wild?

[@Hat-]

smol gren ball

[@HenrythePaleoGuy]

Indeed.

[@danonychus]

Ik it has nothing to do with this video (kind of) but could you do an irritator video

[@HenrythePaleoGuy]

I've done one. :)

[@alexanderstone9463]

Truly you worry too much. The Rifleman is not going extinct, ever. If it could still be locally common in suitable habitat, after all that’s happened on New Zealand, there is nothing that could kill it off. Incidentally, it is also one of the few native birds of New Zealand that can be found even in pine plantations, which is another reason why it will not go extinct.

[@Abyssaracnis]

E

[@non-gmobuttplug6204]

Rifleman?! I knew it! Government drone! Birds aren't real!

[@malnutritionboy]

what's next? Artilleryman?

[@HenrythePaleoGuy]

O: